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Going to do great things…one bite at a time.

A wise old woman once told me, “Do you know how to eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” We were talking about a large looming project that was giving me sleepless nights and stress enough that drove me to drink large quantities of wine. “Ewww, I can not eat an elephant!” I protested.

I like elephants. When I was a very small girl I made an embroidery elephant and it is one of the few things that my mommy kept from my childhood. The woman laughed. “Picture some sort of yummy thing in the shape of an elephant then. Take that large project and divide it in to small manageable steps”

I pictured an elephant cake. A huge chocolate cake in the shape of a goofy cartoony elephant. I sliced it up in my mind and assigned each piece a task for my project. Years later I realized that was one of the best pieces of advice I have ever been given. It seems so simple that common sense should have told me that one small bite at the time was the only way to get through the project. Small bites that will morph into something fun and exciting. Small steps that will produce momentous results.

Anytime you decide to tackle something that looks monumental, remember the elephant. One small bite at the time. One small task at the time.

Why stress and worry so much? Take that big thing and chunk it up. What can you tackle today and what can wait a day or two?

So, do what I did, tell that damn elephant to sit still and grab a fork.